Sleeping on the Waters of Jiangnan

No shopping and no optional add-ons for the entire trip — this is written into the itinerary. Ten attraction tickets, ten main meals and five nights of accommodation are all included in the price; the itinerary lists what you do each day, hour by hour, with no shopping stop anywhere. The only thing not included is the cross-strait flights (see Q7).

All four nights are international brands, and here's the list: Sheraton Shanghai Pudong Riverside, Pullman Zhouzhuang, and in Hangzhou a choice of Sofitel Hangzhou / Hotel Indigo Hangzhou Shangcheng / Crowne Plaza Hangzhou Qiantang (one per city from the list). You can look these up online yourself. The backup hotels are the same tier — no quiet substitution. The one thing to flag up front is the Zhouzhuang night: the primary option, Pullman Zhouzhuang, is right in town; if it's fully booked and we move to an equivalent hotel in downtown Suzhou, the tier is the same but the "staying in town" part is gone. If that happens we'll tell you in advance, never on-site.

No, it's not a private homestay. Tong'an Inn, Zhaoming Library and Shuixiang Yizhan are all run officially by Wuzhen Tourism inside the Xizha scenic zone. Staying inside the zone is genuinely different: unlimited face-scan entry/exit, free shuttle buses and free luggage transfer — after the daytime crowds disperse, Xizha belongs to overnight guests.

This route only departs Sunday or Saturday, precisely so Wuzhen lands on Tuesday or Wednesday — weekend Xizha is very different from weekdays, and we already dodge that in the scheduling. On top of that, staying inside Xizha lets you roam at night until 9pm and head out at 6:30am, two windows before day-trippers arrive.

Capped at twenty-five, and the seats are never full: ten to nineteen travellers get a 33-seater, twenty to twenty-five get a 38-seater, with empty seats the whole way. Want no group at all? Add NT$10,800 per person when travelling with four or more to upgrade to a private charter (for 4–8 people).

Cross-strait flights are not included — this is a land-joining tour: you book your own flights, and we can help suggest options (e.g. China Airlines CI501, departing Taoyuan 08:40, arriving Pudong 10:50). After landing there's a pickup point at Pudong Terminal 1 with a private transfer into the city; from then on, all six days have vehicle and guide. The return airport drop-off is also in the itinerary.

For the six days on tour you basically don't need any mainland payment app: tickets, transport, accommodation and ten main meals are already covered, and a guide accompanies you throughout. If you want to buy something on your own, you can use cash, and the guide will help. For mobile data or roaming, we suggest arranging a SIM or roaming plan in Taiwan before departure — our support team can advise.

It differs on three things you can check one by one: one, staying inside the Xizha scenic zone in Wuzhen (standard tours visit for two hours in daytime and stay outside town); two, staying in Zhouzhuang town and strolling back to the hotel after the night tour; three, ten main meals fully included and every restaurant named, with lunch budgeted at RMB 100 and dinner averaging RMB 144. If these three don't matter to you, the NT$20,000-plus tier is a reasonable choice — we also have an entry tour at NT$9,600 to try first.

Yes, with two things made clear up front. Itinerary: two of the six days are longer (day three until 9pm, day five until 7:30pm), the other four are relaxed, and both Hangzhou nights are in the same hotel so there's no repacking; the itinerary is broken down hour by hour so you can review it first. Discounts: ticket reductions are refunded on-site in cash — over 70 refunds up to RMB 122, aged 60–69 refunds RMB 44, and a first-issue Mainland Travel Permit for Taiwan Residents (issue number 01) refunds RMB 102, verified on the spot with documents and settled at the actual refund amount.

Payment is by card via Stripe, charged in full at booking, with a formal contract signed. The cancellation policy is in writing: 20% loss at 31 days or more before departure, 50% at 8–30 days, and 70% within 7 days.